Wonderful Dream
by NancyErin
Summary: AU - Christmas Fluff Beckett and Castle in the Future – Family


Title: Wonderful Dream

Author: NancyErin (cookiemonster76)

Rated: K

Disclaimer: I don't own CASTLE, never have, never will *sob*

Note: English is not my mother tongue, so please bare with my grammar mistakes. Thx! =)

Summary: AU Christmas Fluff Beckett and Castle in the Future – Family

Read, enjoy and please review; they are more than welcome! They keep my going! Thanks!

**One Parter**

It was the wee hours of the morning and the darkness of the night still filled the air. The moon light was shining its light from high up above onto Richard Castle resting on his comfortable spot on the couch with his feet propped up onto the coffee table. His eyes were closed, but he didn't sleep. He merely relished into the silence before the storm. The clock ticking on the wall was the only sound in the room. How long had he been sitting there? He didn't know, it had been too long already. He had stopped counting the frequent sleepless nights he had had over the past couple of months. He let out a long sigh at the pleasant thoughts of the life the past three years had graced him with. He had never pictured his life that hectic, but it was all so worth it.

Before getting to know Kate Beckett, he was living a rather monotonous, yet bachelor-like, life. A life, which consisted of writing - trying to make his book to the top sale -, taking care of his daughter – who actually was more of an adult than he was -, and of putting up with his mother on a daily basis – since she had moved in with him again.

The day he met Kate Beckett, was the day his life was pulled upside down, and still, all those years ago, he had no idea what he was getting himself into. First, he had fallen in love with her heads over heels. Second, she was a hardcore detective, fighting crimes and catching murderers. Third, they both had saved one another lives' countless times and it had taken them four years to actually admit their feelings for each other. What a waste of time!

Actually, Richard Castle didn't think of it as a waste of time. Those four years had probably been the best years of his life till then. Throughout those four years they got to know each other, to have a feeling of who the other person was, and most of all, to trust and to love that person. It had been a slowly developing relationship on so many levels that it still left Richard Castle speechless to this day. It was an unknown feeling to him, since he was a writer. He knew how to use words, how to play with them, and there was only one person in this world that could render him flabbergasted. And that person was Kate Beckett. Kate Beckett who was one of the greatest mysteries in the world and of all time, at least in Richard Castle's point of view.

Prior to Kate Beckett, there weren't many days that meant something to him, aside from the day his daughter Alexis was born. Sure he had been married twice, but that had never given him the fulfilling he was actually seeking for. All that changed, the day Kate Beckett tumbled into his life. It all started off with the very first day they met, many more were bound to follow. Yet none of them compared to the day Kate Beckett whispered the words "I do", so faintly that the priest had actually made her repeat them.

A smile grew on Richard Castle's face at the memory of his wife walking down that aisle. She had looked so beautiful to him that day, even more so than she did every day. Her smile, her sparkling green eyes, her brown tresses falling delicately over her shoulders. The tough kickass detective looked like a princess fallen right out of a fairytale.

Richard Castle chortled softly to himself that moment, before taking a sip of his freshly brewed cup of coffee. If only Kate Beckett knew what he was thinking right that very second, he would be in for something.

Second close, came the day where Kate Beckett had told him the wonderful news of them expecting their first baby. Richard Castle had been flying on cloud nine for the next nine months after that. It had changed everything. He remembered never acting that way with his first child. Richard Castle loved Alexis, every single inch of her, ever since the moment he had held that little bundle all wrapped up in his arms. But then Kate Beckett had blessed him with a baby boy and a baby girl. He didn't know where to look first and whom to cuddle first. As said, he didn't have enough words to express how he was feeling. They were both so precious and Alexis had been so excited all the way along. She couldn't wait to have her sister and brother with her. Neither did Kate Beckett, nor did Richard Castle. Those had probably been the longest nine months in his life. Having a pregnant and very grumpy Kate Beckett breathing down his neck every minute of every day wasn't any of his favorite past times either.

With the birth of the twins, the marriage to Kate Beckett and Alexis studying at University, Richard Castle thought his life to be complete. They all did. It had taken them months to get used to having two children requesting their parents' constant attention at the same time. As months passed by Kate Beckett and Richard Castle watched as they grew from babies into toddlers. Pictures ranged from the first head lift to their first step, and then moved on from the first tooth to their second birthday. Kate Beckett and Richard Castle sure had their hands full twenty-four seven, but neither would ever think trading their lives with someone else's.

The clock striking 6am briefly disrupted the peaceful silence. Richard Castle got out of his chair, walked across the room, stumbling over a couple of building blocks, and mentally screaming out loud. As the caffeine warmed up his throat he couldn't help wondering how long it would take for his family to finally wake up. His feet brought him over to the nicely decorated Christmas tree. Beneath many wrapped gifts were awaiting to be torn apart by two overly excited three years old, since Santa had spoiled them more than ever. Richard Castle knelt down and put the plug into the socket, which instantly lit the entire tree. He loved this time of the year. It was his favorite season. Everything was so peaceful. He noted the snowflakes now falling down from the dark sky as they carefully toppled onto the already snow covered ground outside. A whimper cut through the night. The tall man's eyes travelled to the baby phone standing on the couch table. It went on for a little while but since the infant didn't cry he didn't interfere. Soon the night was quiet again, which enabled him to settle down some more. Maybe for another half an hour.

Richard Castle wasn't only in love with Kate Beckett, but he was also in love with his children. He had always wanted Alexis to have a sibling to play with considering he had been an only child, and thus knew what it was like to be raised as such. Alas the opportunity never presented itself to him, so that Alexis also grew up as an only child. The older Alexis got, the fainter the vision of the perfect family dream got. Kate Beckett changed all of that, and Richard Castle would always be more than grateful for it. Hannah was the spiting image of her mother, while Aidan knew perfectly well how to use his charm to wrap both of his parents around his fingers. It sounded quite stereotypical but he loved to have a copy of each. It was like a dream come true.

For the second time that morning Richard Castle's thoughts were interrupted. First it was a whimper, followed by some small cries which soon turned into a long wail. He got on his feet ready to jump in before his wife would wake up but it was already too late as her soothing voice soon filtered through the room. Even though he wasn't in their bedroom, he could still picture his wife leaning over the crib, lifting their baby up into her arms. She next would bring it up to her chest to nurse it. One quick glance at the clock and he knew to be right; the baby was hungry.

"Hey…" Richard Castle let his presence know coming to a halt in the door pane.

The hallway light softly filled the bedroom, procuring enough visibility to cherish the vision of his nursing child; a sight he could never get enough of. Kate Beckett casually smiled up at him without words. He knew she was still exhausted despite the couple of hours of rest she had had. It was the first time for Noah to sleep five hours in a row. It was indeed a progress. He approached the bed and laid down next to her. He reached out his hand to massage her sore neck.

"Did you get some sleep?" he whispered.

She nodded, "You?"

"No…", he replied and she instantly felt with him. "You needed the sleep. I was in the living room. Me tossing and turning around would have prevented you from some much needed sleep."

Usually Kate Beckett knew how to counter those words, since he also needed to sleep, but she had learnt her lessons. It was useless arguing with Richard Castle, stubborn as he was – they both were – he would eventually catch up on what he lost the previous nights. The couple was briefly lost in the moment of watching their baby latched onto her breast.

"He's so beautiful…", Kate Beckett awed over her son, as she ran a tender caress over her son's rosy cheeks.

Richard Castle felt his heart beating faster. With all those years he didn't think it would be quite possible to fall in love with his wife again, but right that moment, he felt it. It was there, deep within him as it took his breath away. She was beautiful, amazing, wonderful, stunning…

He smiled and his eyes were hazy. It gave Kate Beckett the chills every time. The feeling didn't grow old on her. Richard Castle was still able to make her go weak in the knees every time he was flaunting her.

"Just like his mother", He breathed slowly moving up close to kiss her. He paused before continuing, "Perfect in every way."

Noah probably wasn't planned at all, but that didn't mean he wasn't loved or wanted. He was an added bonus to the family and now they were all equal, boys and girls, three of each, even though Alexis wasn't home often. They had two beautiful girls and two beautiful boys. If ten years from now, someone would have told Richard Castle – or Kate Beckett for that matter – that this would be the life he would be leading, he would have thought of them as crazy. Kate Beckett felt very cozy in her mother role. When she found out about her first pregnancy it sort of had made her anxious, but things actually went very easy from there on. Things tended to come naturally to her and she didn't regret one single bit trading her holster gun for her [i]mommy job[/i]. She loved watching her children grow. The only thing that hadn't changed over the years were the adults' bantering and bickering. It was still going strong to these days.

"Mommy"

"Daddy"

Two tiny voices softly called out from next door. Richard Castle sighed. She smiled, he smiled. Their eyes were locked, blue ones piercing down into green ones, and time stood still. Kate Beckett was in love with her baby boy, even though the later had only recently blown out his three candles, while Richard Castle couldn't get enough of the mini replica of his wife. She was his little angel. Truth was, they both were.

"Stay put… My turn", He jumped in without second thought.

"It's Christmas, Castle!" She defended still using his family name, which happened to be hers too now. She simply couldn't help herself and had kept on using it every once in a while. He smiled again.

"I know, but… it's 6.30am, Noah is still eating, so I'll just try to keep them down for another while, okay?"

She flashed him a thankful smile and watched him leave the room. Kate Beckett thus stayed in bed with her youngest and finished nursing him. Once he was back to slumber, she ever so carefully placed his limp body back into his crib. She threw a robe over her shoulders and caught up with the her husband in the twins' room.

"Mommy!" They both instantly launched themselves against her legs. Each wrapping their tiny arms around one leg, making it difficult for her to walk. "Daddy said Santa was here."

Kate Beckett beamed down at her children with so much devotion that Richard Castle's heart literally swell with love for the woman. She went down on her knees to be at the same eye level with her toddlers. They each placed a wet kiss onto their mother's cheeks before she welcomed them in a warm hug.

"Really?" she said and they giddily nodded their heads. "I guess we should go then."

"Yeah!" The pair squealed at tad bit too loud for the parents' ears.

"Not so loud!" Kate Beckett scolded and shushed them down, "Alexis and Noah are still asleep!"

"Nope, I'm awake" the tall young woman yawned, standing in the door pane.

Hannah and Aidan bounced against her. They adored and idolized their big sister, and Alexis was always gladly taking over the reigns for their parents whenever she could. She knew they needed the space and some time on their own every once in a while.

"Shall we go downstairs?"

"Yes!"

"We'll be right behind you", her father grinned, aware he owed his daughter big time. "Hey beautiful…" he let his charm rolling full mode. He walked up and wrapped his arms around his loving wife.

His wife… he could repeat it over and over again in his head, and it would still seem like a dream. Kate Beckett was his wife, for four years already; almost five. She was the mother of those three wonderful children.

"And don't you dare say that you're fat, because you're not!" he purposefully trailed several kiss onto the smooth warm skin of her neck, hummed at the sensation and cuddled her body closer up against his. He had always been amazed at how perfectly she fitted against him. "I love you Kate Beckett."

She laughed softly at his chosen words. He shrugged, "You'll always be Kate Beckett to me, the detective I fell in love with years ago. Nothing's going to change that."

She turned around in his embrace. His strong arms were still wrapped around the small of her back; never letting her slip out of his protective zone. He had always been aware that Kate Beckett never ever needed his protection, yet he had constantly been on alert every time she went cascading after killers. It was an instinct.

Her hands rested flat over his broad torso while her fingers timidly played with a lose strand on his shirt. She looked up at him and their eyes locked. His grin was contagious. He could be so smitten sometimes, and god, did she love it.

Her playful grin turned serious. Richard Castle knew it. There were moments where he could read her like an open book, and then there were moments where the mystery peaked out which left him befuddled.

With the most truthful voice she could muster, she hushed, "I love you too Rick."

No matter how many times Kate Beckett had declared her love for him throughout the years, it would still make his heart flutter every single time she spoke those magical three words. She moved up onto her tiptoes and brush her lips softly over his, lingering a little bit longer than planned.

"Come on", she said with a smile when they parted. "I want to be there when they open their presents." She intertwined their fingers and pulled him along with her, downstairs into the family room.

The scene displayed in front of their eyes was rather magical. The twins stood at the foot of the Christmas tree, still clad in their pajamas with Alexis kneeling by their side as they impatiently stood and waited for the parents to catch up with them. Alexis was whispering words to the little ones that neither Kate Beckett, nor Richard Castle could make out. They observed as Aidan picked up a wrapped gift, brought it up to his ears and shook the box in the mere attempt to figure out what was inside. Hannah mimicked her brother with one of her gifts.

"Thank you pumpkin!"

As the couple approached the threesome, Richard Castle leant down and dropped a loving kiss atop of his eldest daughter. It didn't matter how old she was, she would always be his pumpkin and she knew that. Alexis was going to finish her studies this year. Soon she would move out of the house and live on her own, and yet, she would still remain her father's little girl.

"Mommy! Look! Santa gots me a gift!" Aidan happily proclaimed.

Richard Castle watched with bemusement as his wife's full attention laid on their three year old. She lifted him onto her lap and helped him unpack the present, revealing a large toy truck. His eyes went wide open.

"Wow, Aidan!" Alexis cheered who next proceeded to cut the toy out of the carton box so he could play with it.

Next it was Hannah's turn as she claimed one of her pink boxes.

"Daddy, I also gots gift!"

Richard Castle smiled down at the three feet tall. Her brown shoulder length hair was slightly disheveled from the night. When her big green eyes pleaded him for help, he had to shake himself out of his daydream. He could easily loose himself forever in those piercing beautiful eyes. He felt his wife's eyes on him and when he looked up she flashed him an affectionate smile. Kate Beckett had always been mesmerized at how good of a father Richard Castle really was. He was just as much in love with his children than he was in love with her, except in a different way.

All eyes travelled to the baby phone the very second Noah's wailing pierced through the serene atmosphere. Both parents instantly recognized that cry as the one of being hungry again.

As if Kate Beckett could read her husband's mind, she quickly interjected, "He fell asleep way before being finished" and excused herself out of the room. There is only so little Richard Castle could do in that kind of situation. Minutes later Kate Beckett trotted back into the room with Noah cradled up against her chest.

"Mommy, I gots a baby doll from Santa!" Hannah babbled wriggling the doll in front of her mother's face. "Now I gots a baby just like you, mommy!" she climbed up onto the couch and settled herself between her parents. The little girl gazed at her mother before placing her doll in the exact same position her younger brother rested feeding against his mother's chest. Richard Castle could no longer contain a soft laughter at his daughter's cuteness.

"Want some tea?" he asked instead. He briefly disappeared into the kitchen, only to return minutes later with a plate filled with a hot drink for each one of them; chocolate milk for the kids, a steaming vanilla flavored tea and a warm cup of coffee for himself. Sighing contently he let his gaze hazardless travel around the vast open space. The twins were for once playing nicely on the floor with their new toys as Alexis gladly took over her role as big sister. His eyes froze on his feeding child as a warmth grew deep within his body. He was happy. He was probably the happiest man alive. Life had graced him with so much love. A dream he never thought would ever come true, but right now, right this moment, Richard Castle wasn't dreaming this wonderful dream, he was living it.

The Happy End, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to every one!


End file.
